The defending Nova Scotia Senior Baseball League champions have lost seven consecutive games and currently sit in fourth place in the five-team loop.

“I keep saying it — we need to get those key base hits at the right time,” said veteran skipper Jim (Rico) McEachern. “We get runners in scoring position and we strand them there — last year we were driving them in.”

McEachern, who has been working with his players on their hitting, said now is the time to turn the season around.

“We need to be in better form heading into the national championships and we need to improve our position in the league,” he said.

Kentville sits last in the NSSBL table, but McEachern said the Wildcats will be gunning for the Sooners.

“They think we’re down so they’ll throw everything at us,” he said.

The first game gets underway at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Susan McEachern Ball Park and will continue under the lights. The two teams tangle again in a Saturday double-header. Game times are noon. and 3 p.m.

A three-game series between the two teams earlier this month was postponed due to hurricane Arthur. Those matches will be made up in early September.

The Sooners will travel to St. John’s, N.L., Aug. 21-25, for the national championship, a right they earned as 2013 Nova Scotia champs.